Governor Hochul Announces Opening of Albany Skyway Connecting Downtown Albany to the Hudson River Waterfront

Press Release

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the opening of the transformative Albany Skyway, a new elevated park reconnecting downtown Albany to the Hudson River waterfront. The Skyway converted what had been an underutilized exit ramp from northbound Interstate 787 into an urban oasis that provides easy access to the Corning Riverfront Park and the Mohawk Hudson Hike Bike Trail -- which is part of the Empire State Trail -- boosting recreational opportunities and furthering tourism and economic activity in the Capital Region. The State Department of Transportation oversaw the project and, working in partnership with the City of Albany, took the lead in constructing the Skyway. The City of Albany will maintain the Skyway.

"The completion of the Albany Skyway is a game-changer for the city and the perfect example of a transformative infrastructure project that promotes equity and connectivity," Governor Hochul said. "Infrastructure can be more than just building roads and bridges -- like the Skyway, it can be about improving quality of life and righting the wrongs of the past. With this ribbon-cutting we are reuniting divided communities, revitalizing Albany's beautiful waterfront, and recommitting to a transformative vision that is a skyway for the future of infrastructure in New York."

Governor Hochul also announced that the public process for the replacement of the Livingston Avenue Railroad Bridge, led by the State Department of Transportation, will continue in June with a formal public hearing taking place. A date and location in the City of Albany will be identified in the coming weeks. The bridge provides a critical link for passenger rail service from the Northeast Corridor to Albany-Rensselaer. The new, $32.8 billion DOT capital plan includes up to $400 million to replace the existing, Civil War-era bridge with a new, modern structure capable of supporting higher-speed passenger rail, freight rail, maritime transport, and bicycle-pedestrian access.

Source